My Favorite Organizations

I have known many of the Women Sales Pros for a few years through the Sales Lead Management Association. I’ve been following their growth and wanted to be a part of it. Apparently, they liked the idea of working with me, too. There isn’t a lot to do for their events, but they did need …

As the founder of a 501c3 100% volunteer organization, from time to time I hear a volunteer complain that a receiving organization didn’t thank them. I have heard from people in my life that after a gift was given by them, the recipient didn’t thank them enough, or properl,y or that they never used the item or, gave it away. These people are not givers. They are barterers. They want to receive something in exchange for “giving” something. This is not giving, but TRADING.

My mom taught me when I was small to give quietly. No one needs to know what you do, what you give or how much. I have taken it a step further with Binky Patrol (http://binkypatrol.org). If you give to expect a thank you, don’t give. The giving is your present to yourself, the joy of making, buying, finding, and then giving. Release the gift. Allow the recipient to get joy from the gift however they choose.This may mean giving it to another – perhaps they know of someone that would love the gift even more, perhaps they needed a gift and could not afford to purchase one to give. You have given them that opportunity. What a blessing! They experienced joy from your gift, just not as you expected.

I’m a fan of strategic volunteering where everyone wins. I’m also a fan of VERY quiet giving. Release you gift or donation with love. Check your motives for giving if this is really bothering you. If you are giving to receive, rethink it, please. Charities are working hard enough to scramble volunteers, distribute items, raise funds. Appeasing egos is not in their mission statement. Yes, Emily Post taught us to hand write thank you notes. Exception, if you ship something, you do want to make sure it’s been received – that’s a confirmation of receipt – not a thank you note. Either ask for one from your shipper, or drop a quick note to the relative making sure it arrived. If it did, don’t give it another thought. If you gave to a charity, you have your check receipt for taxes, if that is the concern. Wish them well in their endeavors and give again if you choose. Their gratitude is always felt, just not always as expected.

My daughter Savannah has been a proud member of Girls Scouts for six years. I’ve been her leader for five. Troop 40223 is starting of 2013 Cookie PreSales. This means, you pick the cookies you want to eat, donate or give to people from the flavors below. Savannah has been taught by professional members of …

Everyone can win with a contest: You gain emails for a list. You will, of course, have a proper statement that you will be using their info to send periodic emails and making them check a box that they understand this, right? You can help gain traffic or donations for a charity. If you word …

Binky Patrol is an all-volunteer 501c3 org. The Beaverton/Portland Chapters are having a day of making blankets. We need more volunteers. We are just over one week away from the next Binky Patrol Bink-A-Thon, on Saturday, April 21st from 9:00am – 1:30pm… and we still have 50 volunteer spots left to fill! Please consider joining us for another fast-paced event …

I realize the fact that we are giving away 20 copies of "Because of Winn-Dixie" and I'm also giving away 20 copies of my own book, "Dino Manners" to 20 first grade and kindergartners, but I want a treat to mark the event to give away along with a bookmark. I'm inspired: Source: flickr.com via …

Normally I don't observe many of the smaller holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and possibly New Years is it for me. I make the exception for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King's messages speak to my heart. They also give me a great day off to help others. The day will be spent making blankets …

Having moved from a fabulous group of PR professionals in Orange County, CA was difficult. I thrived at the roundtable discussion groups that brought 'competitors' together to help solve each other's client challenges, promote each other's charities and support and cheer for each other on a monthly basis.

I moved to Beaverton, OR and found Mamapreneurs aka, The Power MOB. Social Media Expert, Graphic Designer and Entrepreneur – Marlynn Schotland led this band of professional mothers who were caught in the in-between of play groups that were all mom and networking groups that we all business. She had a need and turned it in to a vision and then shared it with any woman who was in her predicament. I found my networking home. We would talk business, shoes, kids; laugh, cry, cheer and get really… errr.. supportive (not really the word, but let's keep it friendly) if anyone messed with one of us. We combined all facets of our lives because we are a sum of all of these facets that create the jewels we each recognize.

It's been a great Monday. We started out happy, the children were off to school, I had great projects to work on. Then I received an email that stopped my day dead in its tracks. A classmate of my son (6), lost her mother to colon cancer on Friday. She's an only child and I cannot imagine the sadness and fear she and her dad are going through right now.

Welcome SLMA Members, industry professionals, newsletter subscribers. Thank you for clicking on my logo from theSLMA.com website. I've been working with Jim Obermayer for nearly three years as he has grown this organization through marketing efforts, word of mouth, and a lot of hard work. It's an honor to work with a man of such …

Thank you for visiting my site today from the WEO website. Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon has become one of my favorite organizations, not only because of the amazing and inspiring women who are members, but because of the secondary mission of helping other women such as those who are clients of Shepherd’s Door in Portland. …

Here's the challenge: gather a group of 12 or so Oregon and SW Washington women who own their own businesses, most have families to coordinate AND the volunteer on the board of WEO – Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon. These busy and fantastic women spent countless hours honing their needs for the organization to continue on …

The problem of finding a way to get over 1,000 quilts delivered to Japan was presented to me yesterday. The solution wasn't through "connections," "friends," followers," the solution came from my very first networking group that meets face to face around an oval table once a month. This group holds my networking heart because they …

Binky Patrol Comforting Covers for Kids put out a challenge and it was met! We have over 1,000 quilts made by amazing volunteers to send to Japan. We usually focus on our local area shelters and needs, but this was as special request and everyone stepped up to help: People have been very generous and …

The Red Dress Society’s ‘Angel Awards’ program, founded by Angelina and Daniel Musik-Comp, recognizes women behind social causes or non-profits, nominated by their communities from Portland to Beaverton to Umpqua River, for demonstrating how to make a difference in other’s lives.